Feb 11, 2015

My first experience
with unlawful societies was in the University, where I got to hear about and
see the activities of cultists our school prefects. Let’s just say, those
experiences made me stay away from them. Unlawful societies are not social
clubs or organizations as they usually have more sinister motives behind their
formation.

The Nigerian Criminal
Code Act defines a society to include any combination of ten or more persons
whether the society is known by any name or not. Please refer to Section 62 (1)
of the Act. The Act goes further to
describe unlawful societies as any society formed for any of the following
purposes:

Levying war or
encouraging or assisting any person to levy war on the Govt or the inhabitants
of any part of Nigeria;

Killing or injuring
or encouraging the killing or injuring of any person, clearly Boko Haram falls
into this category;

Destroying or
injuring or encouraging the destruction or injuring of any property; or

Subverting or promoting
the subversion of the Govt or of its officials; or

Committing to
inciting to acts of violence or intimidation; or

Interfering with, or
resisting, or encouraging interference with or resistance to the administration
of the law; or

Disturbing or
encouraging the disturbance of peace and order in any part of Nigeria; or

If declared by an
order of the President to be a society dangerous to the good government of
Nigeria or of any part thereof.

Thus if your organization or an organization you intend to belong to is involved in any of
the activities mentioned above, it’s important to stay away from such an organization.
It should be noted that anyone who manages or assists in managing an unlawful
society is guilty of a felony and liable to imprisonment for seven years. Also
anyone who is a member of an unlawful society or allows its members to meet on
its property is also guilty of a felony and is liable to imprisonment for three
years.

Please read and
share with others who you know may be members of unlawful societies.